There’s nothing like ringing in the new year with the classic Soviet New Year’s film The Carnival Night. Made in 1956, the film is shown each year at New Year’s on Russian television. For the uneducated (which is about everybody west of the Baltic Sea) here is a synopsis of this great film: It is the New Year’s Eve and the employees of an Economics Institute are ready with their annual New Year’s entertainment program. It includes a lot of dancing, singing, and even magic tricks. Suddenly, an announcement is made that a new director has been elected and that he is arriving shortly. Comrade Ogurtsov arrives in time to review and disapprove of the scheduled entertainment. To him, holiday fun has a different meaning. He imagines speakers reading annual reports to show the Institute’s progress over the year, and, perhaps, a bit of serious music, something from the Classics, played by the Veterans’ Orchestra. Obviously, no one wants to change the program a few hours before the show, much less to replace it with something so boring! Now everyone has to team up in order to prevent Ogurtsov from getting to the stage. As some of them trap Ogurtsov Continue Reading →

If you are looking for information on the Dmitry Yakolev/Chase Harrison case and other Russian adoption news, please scroll down to previous blogs ****** For those who remember the days of gracious living: TOM AND JERRY Seperate egg in two bowls. Add Rum & Brandy to the yolk and beat together until frothy. In th other bowl beat the egg white until it peaks then add sugar and bet until stiff. Fold into the liqour mixture. Pour into a coffee mug and top with the water, milk or coffee. Ready made batter can be store bought – for this simply add alcohol and water, milk or coffee. Ingredients: 24 eggs 2 lb. powered sugar 2 tsp cinnimon 1/2 tsp nutmeg 1/2 oz. vanilla extract 1/2 jigger aum 1/2 jigger Brandy 1/2 cup boiling hot water Mixing instructions: Beat egg whites stiff with electric beator, Add sugar gradually, add cinnamon, nutmeg and vanilla, add in half of the eggs yolks blend until smooth. In Large mug fill with 1/2 batter 2 shots of 60% rum and 40% brandy (mixture) balance with boiling hot water. Stir well and sprinkle with nutmeg. From: The Webtender

If you are looking for information on the Dmitry Yakolev/Chase Harrison case and other Russian adoption news, please scroll down to previous blogs. Curried Sweet Potato Latkes * 1 pound sweet potatoes, peeled* 1/2 cup all-purpose flour* 2 teaspoons sugar* 1 teaspoon brown sugar* 1 teaspoon baking powder* 1/2 teaspoon cayenne powder* 2 teaspoons curry powder* 1 teaspoon cumin* Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste* 2 large eggs, beaten* 1/2 cup milk (approximately)* Peanut oil for frying Grate the sweet potatoes coarsely. In a separate bowl mix the flour, sugar, brown sugar, baking powder, cayenne pepper, curry powder, cumin, and salt and pepper. Add the eggs and just enough milk to the dry ingredients to make a stiff batter. Add the potatoes and mix. The batter should be moist but not runny; if too stiff, add more milk. Heat 1/4 inch of peanut oil in a frying pan until it is barely smoking. Drop in the batter by tablespoons and flatten. Fry over medium-high heat several minutes on each side until golden. Drain on paper towels and serve. Makes 16 three-inch pancakes. This and more recipies are here.

If you are looking for information on the Dmitry Yakolev/Chase Harrison case, please scroll down. “You darkness, that I come from, I love you more than all the fires that fence in the world, for the fire makes a circle of light for everyone, and then no one outside learns of you. But the darkness pulls in everything; shapes and fires, animals and myself, how easily it gathers them!— powers and people— and it is possible a great energy is moving near me. I have faith in nights.”– Rainer Maria Rilke, On Darkness